Federal Judge: Sex with a Porn Star Not Official Presidential Duty

Judge Rejects Trump Bid to Move Hush-Money Case to Federal Court

NEW YORK — A federal judge on Friday once again rejected President Donald Trump’s effort to overturn his criminal conviction in the New York hush-money case, ruling that the case does not belong in federal court and that presidential immunity does not shield the conduct at issue.

The decision marked another setback for Trump’s efforts to challenge the conviction, which stemmed from payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to adult-film performer Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors argued that Trump falsified business records to conceal the payments and their purpose.

Trump’s lawyers had sought to move the state prosecution into federal court, contending that the case involved conduct connected to his presidency and therefore fell within the protections recognized by the Supreme Court’s presidential-immunity doctrine.

The judge rejected that argument, distinguishing official presidential responsibilities from private conduct.

“Having sex with an adult film star and hiding it from his wife are not subsumed in presidential immunity,” the judge said.

The ruling did not erase the broader legal questions surrounding the limits of presidential immunity. The Supreme Court has held that presidents have substantial immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts, while leaving private conduct outside that protection.

Trump has consistently denied wrongdoing in the case and has characterized the prosecution as politically motivated. His attorneys have continued to pursue legal avenues aimed at challenging the conviction.

The ruling leaves the state-court conviction in place unless it is overturned through another legal proceeding. The case remains one of several criminal and civil matters that have followed Trump during and after his return to the White House.

Legal analysts said Friday’s decision underscored the continuing distinction courts have drawn between actions taken as part of presidential duties and conduct arising from a candidate’s or private citizen’s personal affairs.